It’s Never Too Late: Leo and Nala

After having to put down his beloved dog, Leo tried to adjust to being the only person at home. A widower who now lived alone, Leo missed the companionship of his dog and hated being in a house filled with silence.

His grandson suggested Leo look at getting another pet. You can’t replace a best friend, but you can create new memories and make new friends. Leo and his family looked at different dogs but didn’t find just the right one. One day in March 2018 they stopped at NEW PAWSibilities, a short drive from Leo’s home. The minute Betty walked into the viewing room she stopped right in front of Leo’s grandson.

“We just knew,” remembers Leo. “We all fell instantly in love with her. It wasn’t anything special about this dog over the others, we just knew.” So Betty was renamed Nala and their dual journey began.

“We weren’t too sure a puppy was the way to go for Leo,” recounts the executive director. “Betty was a six-month-old very active Boxer/Mix with a lot of growing to do. We wondered was he up for training a puppy.”

Happily, Leo was and continues to be up to the challenge. Leo simply beams when he tells us how many compliments he gets wherever they go. And Nala gets more than her fair share of those because she is lucky enough to take every excursion Leo does. This beautiful life changing girl sits in the vehicle waiting patiently until they arrive for their next adventure. The two can often be found enjoying long walks on the local trails. And of course Nala makes sure Leo stops in often to get her favorite knuckle bones to chew on.

This once lonely man with so much to give and a dog searching for his forever home are inseparable. To see Leo smile and talk about Nala we know it was a match made in heaven. They rescued each other.